Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Satisfying a Craving Chapter 319: Chapter 319: Satisfying a Craving Soon, the oxcart arrived at the entrance of the town.
Because today was market day, the streets were much busier than usual. On both sides of the town entrance, stalls were set up, and there were many selling breakfast foods. The aroma, carried by the wind, wafted through the entire street. Those who hadn’t had breakfast couldn’t help but stop to look at the breakfast stalls. People with silver would step forward to buy a steamed bun or two to fill their stomachs, while those without money could only swallow their saliva, tighten their belts, and keep walking.
“Wow, that smells good,” Chuner exclaimed as she leapt down from the oxcart and ran towards the stalls on both sides.
Usually, Sister Xuexue would give her a few copper coins for self-defense, and they came in handy now.
Xiao Gougou was quite restrained, a stark contrast to his excited demeanor on the oxcart, as he drooped his head and followed behind Xuexue.
Xuexue found this strange and asked him, “Xiao Gougou, why don’t you go buy something to eat with Chuner?”
“I…I…I’m not hungry,” Xiao Gougou stammered, his head down, twisting the hem of his clothes with his little hands.
Seeing his demeanor, Xuexue knew immediately that he had no silver.
Indeed, for the villagers of Mo Family Village, just filling their bellies was a problem, let alone having extra money for children to buy snacks.
Xuexue searched in her bosom for a moment, took out ten copper coins, and handed them to him, “Xiao Gougou, here are some copper coins. Go buy something to eat with Chuner.”
“Sister Xuexue, I can’t take your money.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t have money to pay you back,” Xiao Gougou said in a low voice, his head still down. Home was poor, after all. Any copper coins they had were saved for emergencies, not to be spent carelessly.
“It’s just a few coins. You don’t have to pay me back.”
Xiao Gougou still hesitated, not daring to reach out and take the money.
Resolute, Xuexue put the coins in his hand, “Take it.”
“This…”
Xiao Gougou looked at Xuexue with difficulty, afraid that his mother would scold him when he got home, accusing him of recklessly taking other people’s money.
“It’s okay. Take them. I’ll talk to your mother about it,” Xuexue said, waving her hand and smiling.
Only then did Xiao Gougou relax, running excitedly towards the stall where Chuner was, shouting as he ran, “Chuner, Chuner, I’m coming!”
“Xiao Gougou, why are you so slow? Hurry up, there are meat buns here that smell so good. Here, have one to try,” Chuner said with a smile, handing him a bun.
“I have silver. Sister Xuexue gave it to me,” Xiao Gougou boasted, proudly showing off the few copper coins in his hand.
“Isn’t my sister awesome? I told you, my sister is a really good person.”
“Mmm.”
With his head bowed, Xiao Gougou smiled, thinking how lucky Chuner was to have someone as good as Sister Xuexue.
Xuexue and Big Bull stood to the side, waiting for Chuner and Xiao Gougou to return with the buns.
“Big Bull, are you tired?”
Seeing the fine beads of sweat on Big Bull’s forehead, Xuexue took out a handkerchief from her bosom and wiped his sweat for him.
“My lady, I’m tired. I am dead tired,” Big Bull said, hoping Xuexue would continue to wipe his sweat, so he pitifully continued.
“You really are a fool. You knew you had to stand here waiting, yet you didn’t think to put down the shoulder pole,” Xuexue said with a laugh when she saw he was still standing there, shoulder pole in place, waiting stupidly.
Upon hearing this, Big Bull hurriedly set down his shoulder pole. With the pole lying across the load like a bench, he said, “My lady, come sit for a bit.”
“Okay.”
Xuexue happily sat down, waiting with Big Bull for Chuner and the rest to return.